The Lack of Cereal
by flipstahhz
Summary: Babs knows Dick's moods based on his cereal preferences. [one-shot]


**synopsis;** Babs knows Dick's moods based on his cereal preferences.

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**The Lack of Cereal**

_[ one-shot ]_

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Babs knows Dick's moods based on his cereal preferences.

He keeps a secret stash of cereal at her apartment.

It's not like any ordinary stash. The stash takes up half her cabinet space in her kitchen. She doesn't complain though. It's not like she has enough food or ingredients to fill it up, nor does she ever make the effort to.

After all, she's a self-proclaimed lousy cook.

When people are meant to disagree with this statement, they tend not to, because everybody knows how horrible Barbara is at it. She's a natural at conjuring meals that nobody - in their right mind - would willingly go back for seconds.

Once Dinah had to be hospitalised for getting food poisoning after feeding her own homemade casserole. Her father flat-out refuses any meal she dishes out to him. And she can never forget Alfred's subtly horrified expression on his face when she offered him a cup of Earl Grey. He had politely declined. Out of all people, she had even been rejected by Bruce's dear butler because he didn't trust her enough at making tea.

Dick describes her lack of culinary skills as 'cute'. He even makes a show out of it, continuously declaring to her, _"Who needs a meal when you can have cereal? It's instantaneous!_"

She's heard that line more than once from Dick.

Barbara thinks he's intentionally stored cereal in her kitchen because he knows that it's the one thing she can't ruin (_you just add milk, Babs!_), therefore making it the only edible thing in her household. It benefits him too, of course. Barbara is well aware of his obsession. Alfred had banned him from eating cereal at the manor months ago, which was why she wasn't all that surprised when she one day found Dick at her doorstep with an armful of cereal boxes. Dick hadn't been able to hide his cereal in his own apartment (considering Alfred visits him on a weekly basis to tidy up), therefore Barbara's apartment was his current place where he kept his cereal supply.

Anyway, it's not like Dick's cereal is going to waste away because Barbara eats it too. Besides, Dick is always at hers more than his own apartment.

Like now for instance…

She stares fixedly at her boyfriend who has dominated the couch. His body is sprawled, stretched across the couch, legs dangling off the side because he's too tall for it. If they ever move in together, Barbara notes to invest in a larger couch. His left arm is over his eyes, blocking the ceiling lights.

"Boy Wonder?"

When she opened the door, he had leaned down to kiss her on the cheek before walking straight to the living room. She asked him if he had been drinking. It was a stupid question since she had scented the trace of whisky in his breath. He hadn't registered her words. There was no sarcastic comment, nor a joking response, nor him raiding the kitchen for a bowl of cereal. Nothing.

"Dick?" she tries again.

He mumbles, "A headache. Just a headache, Babs."

She knows him enough to know that Dick doesn't get headaches - he gets migraines. He could bounce from one extreme to the other. That's how he, mostly, worked. He's all cards in, or all cards out. His bedroom is spotless or either a mess. He's either doing one hundred push-ups, or downing burgers and fries like his life depended on it. He'd kiss her goodnight and leave; or he'd lure her to the bedroom and their kisses would escalate further, until they were tangled in bed sheets all night.

Barbara pushes on, "Have you at least eaten anything?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Not even for cereal?"

No response.

She can usually gauge Dick's mood based on his cereal preference. _Froot Loops_ when he is running low on energy and needs a pick-me-up. _Frosties_ whenever he is happy. _Corn Flakes_ when he doesn't feel like any sugar, or when he's had an argument with Bruce or somebody else. Oatmeal or _Weetabix_ when he wants something heavier to fill his stomach, and is on that borderline between getting real food or not. _Cheerios_ when he doesn't know what he felt like, is upset, or is too exhausted to pick what he wants. _Rice Krispies_ when he simply feels like munching on something to get that satisfying crunch. Dick rarely chooses the _Reese's Puffs_ because he saves it for when Jason randomly turns up and because it's the only cereal that Jason eats (he has the ability to annihilate a whole box in one sitting).

The fact that Dick doesn't want any cereal bothers Barbara. Her arms are folded as she stares down at him, wondering what to say, and which button to press to make him talk.

As if sensing her looming over him, Dick finally speaks up, "I wanted to see your pretty face."

"Sure."

She makes sure her tone has a bite of sarcasm to it, to also make him acknowledge that she isn't impressed by his lie. Barbara doesn't need to vocalise this because he knows how her mind works.

If Dick wanted to rest up and wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody, he could have went back to his own apartment. Yet, there he was making her worried.

"I can't go home. I need to keep my mind off things."

"What_ things_?" Barbara questions him back.

He doesn't reply, turning on his side to face the cushioning of the couch and leaving his back exposed.

Barbara sighs. She could argue, fight it out of him, but even she is tired. She'll save it for tomorrow because Dick obviously wants to sleep it off - which is unlike him too, but she'll let it off the hook just this once.

She slides onto the couch next to him. Yes, she definitely needs to invest in a new couch. She's almost about to fall off as she clutches her arms around his abdomen. She doesn't last long, re-positioning herself, and sitting up. Dick gives a small smile when she lets his head rest on her lap. His eyes close again. Barbara frowns at the eye bags and how rigid his body is. She begins to play with his hair, a technique she knows that works on him, that makes him feel at ease.

Five minutes turn to ten, which then turns to half an hour. Her calming technique has worked. Dick is asleep. Barbara finally exhales when she feels that his body is not as tense as it had been.

She pulls out her phone from her pocket and finds a handful of missed calls, but decides to open the latest text from Bruce instead before scrolling through her unanswered calls.

_Is he with you?_

Barbara texts back a 'yes'. Another message soon flashes on her screen. This time it's from Alfred.

_That's good to know. It's his parents' anniversary and he wasn't at home when we dropped by his. We can rest well knowing that he's with you. Goodnight, Miss Gordon_

She stares blankly at Alfred's response. She hadn't known it was the death anniversary of her boyfriend. No wonder he wasn't completely with it. No wonder he wanted to curl up and sleep. No wonder he didn't want to be alone. Barbara shakes her head to herself, feeling foolish that she hadn't noticed earlier, and that she had never been aware of the date his parents had died. However, it's also like Dick to not express himself properly when it counts. He's used to looking after other people that he always tends to forget about himself. She wishes that he had told her though.

Barbara sweeps his fringe to the side, bending down to kiss him on his forehead.

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She wakes up in her bed with no recollection how she had gotten there. Her apartment isn't silent, therefore meaning that she isn't by herself. There are noises drifting from outside her bedroom door, the sounding of something sizzling, and a smell that has already triggered her tummy to rumble.

Barbara turns to her side and sees a folded bathrobe with a sunflower on top of it. Dick must have carried her to bed after she had passed out.

She smiles, rubs her eyes and rolls out of bed. Barbara takes the sunflower in her hands, and replaces the old, withered sunflower with the new one. She puts on her fluffy bathrobe, then brings the glass vase with her into the bathroom. She replaces the stale with water with some tap water, whilst multitasking by brushing her teeth and washing her face. After she's freshened up, she places the vase back onto the desk before heading out of her bedroom.

The sizzling of eggs and bacon welcomes her. She can already taste it on her lips. Dick is standing by the stove with a spatula in hand. He looks ridiculous in her peach-coloured frilly apron, but it is a pleasant sight. She doesn't know which is more delicious, the breakfast he is concocting for her or the person making it. She thinks it's the latter - especially when he's grinning that mischievous smile of his accompanying with his right eyebrow lifting in greeting.

"Morning."

"Can I wake up to you like this every day?" She laughs, tiptoeing to kiss him on the nose. He chuckles. "I could do with a personal chef."

"Is this how you treat any guy who cooks for you? Good grief. If I didn't have cooking in my resumé, I know that you wouldn't give me the time of day."

"That's true," she agrees, causing him to flash a playful scowl at her.

He holds her by the waist and says, "I'm sorry about last night. Thought I'd make it up to you by providing you with my services."

"Your services are always welcome." Barbara suggests, "But maybe dress up in spandex when you cook for me next time?"

He tilts his head, grinning. "Hm, perhaps I should consider it…"

"And maybe you should also consider filling me in if it's your parents' anniversary. If you're going to keep being my boyfriend, I don't particularly like being left in the dark."

Barbara eyes him for any sign or shift on his facial expression. Dick doesn't fail to deliver as his boyish grin falters to an almost-frown. He usually has a knack for disguising his mood, but not this time - not now when she knows.

"How-"

"Bruce and Alfred," she tells him. "I already knew something was wrong when you refused your cereal."

Dick gives a forlorn gaze at the kitchen cabinet. "I should damn all cereal to hell."

"No, really," Barbara says. "Just let me know next time."

"Will do."

As she's about to walk off to brew them both coffee, her wrist is held back. Dick spins her into his arms and kisses her on the lips. She smiles into the kiss, accepting it as she kisses him back.

They only break apart when the smoke detector alarms, blaring into their ears. Barbara breaks away from his arms, immediately switching the stove off. She notices the burnt bacon and eggs in the frying pan. She pouts, frowning at him, wondering what they should do about their ruined breakfast.

Dick merely shrugs, "This is why I prefer cereal."

She punches him on the arm to, hopefully, cease his chuckling.

It doesn't.

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**(a/n) **This has been sitting in my drafts for more than a year or so. I've shipped this couple so hard, so it's nice to finally post this one-shot up. Hope you enjoyed it :)


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